restitution
Americannoun
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reparation made by giving an equivalent or compensation for loss, damage, or injury caused; indemnification.
- Synonyms:
- repayment, satisfaction, requital, compensation, amends, recompense
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the restoration of property or rights previously taken away, conveyed, or surrendered.
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restoration to the former or original state or position.
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Physics. the return to an original physical condition, especially after elastic deformation.
noun
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the act of giving back something that has been lost or stolen
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law the act of compensating for loss or injury by reverting as far as possible to the position before such injury occurred
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the return of an object or system to its original state, esp a restoration of shape after elastic deformation
Usage
What does restitution mean? Restitution is payment or some other form of compensation that is given to make up for loss, damage, or injury that has been caused. Restitution can also refer to the act or process of compensating someone in this way. The point of restitution is to return what has been lost or stolen or to repair the damage or injury that has been done so that things can be returned to how they originally were or as close as possible. The word is especially used in a legal context to refer to compensation that is required by someone who has caused loss, damage, or injury as part of a crime. Restitution often involves monetary payments, but it can involve other forms of compensation. Example: The defendant was ordered to pay $1 million dollars in restitution to compensate for injuries and property damage.
Related Words
See redress.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of restitution
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English restitucioun, from Old French restitution, restitucion, from Latin restitūtiōn- (stem of restitūtiō ) “a rebuilding, restoration,” equivalent to restitūt(us) + -iōn-. See restitute, -ion
Explanation
Restitution is the act of making up for damages or harm. Remember the time you knocked the ball out of the park, scoring a home run but breaking a house's window in the process? You had to make restitution for the broken window, paying for its replacement. The noun restitution means both "restoring something to its original state" and "returning something to its rightful owner," like a public apology that leads to the restitution of a person's honor and reputation. Restitution also has a specific legal meaning — an order given by a judge to a convicted criminal to make amends for the crime. For example, judges often order people to pay restitution for the damage they cause.
Vocabulary lists containing restitution
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 7
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Hamilton
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They also face restitution orders totaling $115 million.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
This authority exists to ensure that fraud doesn’t pay, even when restitution is impossible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
He is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay $13m in restitution.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
Now she’s trying to make amends, including paying more than $6.6 million in restitution and forfeiture.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
With that kind of money coming in, I can pay my restitution and have extra to give to Zach for trees and materials.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
